8 Viennese Coffeehouses for Any Trip to Austria

"Away from the city center on a quiet corner, you’ll find Oriental rugs, black marble tables, Art Nouveau wood-paneled walls and snug green velvet booths. Jugendstil mirrors and brass light fixtures enhance the fin de siècle flair at Café Goldegg . “This is a traditional Old Viennese coffeehouse with so much history,” owner Jutta Scheuch tells me on a buzzing Sunday morning. “It’s in the original wood ceiling covered in years of smoke.” Drawing a mix of ages from neighborhood folks (including a dog or two) along with European tourists, Goldegg feels delightfully upbeat. That’s thanks to Scheuch, who warmly welcomes patrons every day to her 1910 Kaffeehaus. “I love my guests,” she says. You can play pool, read an array of newspapers, or just eat, drink and be merry. Although many coffeehouses serve Vienna’s signature Sachertorte (invented at the Hotel Sacher), Goldegg’s takes the cake — moist, rich, and gorgeously presented with chocolate-drizzled whipped cream." - Veronica Stoddart